The daughter of actor Paul Walker, who was killed as a passenger of a Porsche Carrera GT in 2013, has received a $10.1 million settlement from the estate of the car’s driver, Roger Rodas.

Walker was a co-star of the Fast & Furious movie series, about a gang of Los Angeles street racers that go on to become an international special ops team. It has always centered around stunts in fast cars, and it was at a southern California car enthusiasts’ charity gathering that Walker took his fated ride with Rodas.

The settlement was reached in November 2014 but was revealed Friday. Rodas’s estate accepted partial responsibility for Walker’s death and will pay the settlement amount into a trust for Meadow Walker. Her lawyer, Jeff Milam, said, “The amount paid by the estate of Roger Rodas into a trust for Meadow Walker only covers a fraction of what her father would have earned as an international movie star had his life not tragically been cut short.”

Meadow Walker will continue with her lawsuit against Porsche. Just this week, U.S. District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez ruled that Porsche was not responsible for the deaths of Walker and Rodas. That suit had been brought by Rodas’s widow, who claimed that the Carrera GT lacked safety features and had a flawed suspension design. However, both the California Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department have already determined that speeds in excess of 90 mph just before the fatal crash was the cause of the two deaths.

Chinese automaker JAC is teasing a mid-size SUV ahead of the upcoming Beijing Motor Show.

Called the SC5, it promises to be a close-to-production concept whose final version will be on the streets in 2017. The electric blue SUV appears to blend a rugged, squared-off side profile with muscular fenders with a softer, more rounded nose. A large trapezoidal grille flanked by LED headlights is reminiscent of Lexus’s trademark spindle but, dare we say it, may actually look better.

The profile is rather handsome, with a proper, flat roof and C-pillar that doesn’t try to be different for the sake of it. A roof spoiler is likely an option for top trim levels. The rear is standard SUV, with nondescript headlights and some brightwork on an upright hatch.

Details are scarce for now, but while rumor has it that the concept will be a hybrid, it is expected that the production SC5 will come with two all-gasoline engine options, a 1.5- and a 2.0-liter. Both will be turbocharged, with a maximum output of 200 horsepower.

The JAC SC5 will be unveiled on April 25 in Beijing. Plans for export are nonexistent at this time.

Ford is preparing an eco-friendly hatchback aimed right at the Toyota Prius, the Chevrolet Volt, and the Hyundai Ioniq, a new report finds.

The car will be called Model E, a name trademarked by the Blue Oval in December of 2013. It will take the form of a compact that will be offered as a hybrid, as a plug-in hybrid, and as an all-electric model. Consequently, it will replace the hybrid and plug-in variants of the C-Max, and the Focus electric.

The Model E will be built on the same platform as the next-generation Focus that’s expected to arrive in 2018. It will stand out thanks to model-specific design, though it’s too early to tell what it will look like.

The Ford Model E will likely be unveiled at a major auto show in 2018, and it will go on sale shortly after as a 2019 model. Industry trade journal Automotive News believes that production will take place in a new $1.6 billion factory that Ford plans to build in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. The next-generation Focus will also be built there.

What’s in a name?
The name Model E hints at the car’s electrified drivetrain while paying homage to historically important Fords like the Model T and the Model A. Tesla tried to protect the Model E moniker in 2014, presumably so that its lineup would spell out the word “sexy” once the Model Y crossover arrives, but Ford prevented the company from using it on a production car. The sedan born as the Model E was consequently re-named Model 3.

Volkswagen has hinted that the production version of the wild Golf R400 concept is right around the corner.

“There might be a surprise coming. We have this year the 40th anniversary of the Golf GTI. Be surprised in May or June. Let’s see what will happen,” said Dominik Hoberg, Volkswagen’s head of product communications, in an interview with Australian website Drive.

Hoberg didn’t provide a more specific time frame, but his comments suggest we’ll see the car either next month during the annual Wörthersee meet in Austria, or in June at the Goodwood Festival of Speed that will take place in England.

While the R400 concept (pictured) was powered by a 2.0-liter turbo four put on steroids, the latest rumors indicate that the production model will use a 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine borrowed from the Audi RS 3. It will send at least 400 horsepower to all four wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The super-Golf will be capable of hitting 60 mph from a stop in less than four seconds, and it will go on to a top speed of over 170 mph, figures that will make it the fastest series-produced Golf ever. Sitting on model-specific wheels, it will use brake and suspension components borrowed from the Golf R and modified to handle the extra power.

The Volkswagen Golf R400 will go on sale in select markets before the end of the year. It will be priced well above the Golf R, which carries a base price of $35,650, and production will be strictly limited.

Photos by Ronan Glon.

Nissan has released a not-so-obfuscated teaser image of the Datsun Redi-Go, a compact designed for developing markets.

Based on the Redi-Go Concept shown at the New Delhi Auto Show two years ago, it will be the second car built on the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s CMF-A platform. The first was the Renault Kwid.

It is widely believed that the engine will be the same 0.8-liter 3-cylinder that powers the Kwid. Driving the front wheels, it produces 53 horsepower and 55 ft-lbs of torque and mates to a 5-speed manual transmission. A 1.0-liter diesel is supposedly being developed and will be offered sometime after the initial launch.

Its short overhangs and tall stance are meant mostly for congested urban areas, although light off-road duty is said to be within its capabilities. While it is unknown whether the concept’s LED headlights will make it into production, the rest of the teaser image looks remarkably faithful to the concept.

According to Indian Autos Blog, the Datsun Redi-Go will be revealed on April 14.

Chinese automaker Chery has released concept sketches heralding a new coupe ahead of the Beijing Motor Show.

The Chery FV2030 is a futuristic looking machine that takes the form of a sporty crossover, a la Nissan GripZ or Toyota C-HR. Despite a sleek body with tapering roofline, the vehicle appears to ride on a high suspension and large wheels with rugged design.

A waterfall-esque grille dominates the front, with seemingly razor-thin headlights on either side. intakes highlighted in red. The leading edge of the hood appears to be one wide arc with a Chery logo placed front and center. Two afterburner-like lower intakes have bezels finished in red, a theme that continues throughout the car.

From the side, squared-off fenders with black guards give the car a muscular look. The windshield appears to sweep into the roof for a panoramic view above. There does not, however, appear to be any side windows or doors, leaving ingress, egress and viewing options up to the imagination for now.

Out back, the taillights adopt a similarly thin look as the headlights. With this being just a (very early) design sketch, it is unknown how much of the design will translate to actual concept itself. No powertrain details were disclosed. The Beijing Motor Show takes place later this month.

Subaru will attempt to set a new Isle of Man lap record with a heavily-modified WRX STI.

The special STI was developed with input from Prodrive, a British engineering firm that has been building ultra-quick Subarus for decades. Visually, it’s instantly recognizable thanks to a body kit that includes a new front bumper with wide air dams, side skirts, an air diffuser out back, and a large trunk-mounted wing. It rides on specific alloy wheels tucked under flared fenders.

Prodrive has put the STI on a diet by sending the door panels, the dash, and the seats back to the parts bin. The sedan now boasts a roll cage, as well as a pair of bucket seats for the front passengers.

Subaru will put experienced British pilot Mark Higgins behind the wheel of the STI. He’s seen as the right man for the job because he set the current lap record of 19 minutes and 15 seconds in 2014 with a bone-stock WRX STI. The Japanese company expects that the modifications made to the STI will help Higgins lap the 37-mile long course in less than 19 minutes.

Subaru will shoot for a new lap record right before the 2016 Isle of Man TT starts on May 28th.

Acura will travel to the biennial Beijing Auto Show to introduce a brand new compact crossover.

Tentatively called C-DX, Acura’s entry-level soft-roader will essentially be a toned-down version of the SUV-X concept (pictured) that was shown during the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show. The series-produced model will adopt a less futuristic look and a new front end inspired by Acura’s latest design language, but its overall silhouette is expected to make the jump from concept to production without major modifications.

The C-DX will ride on the same platform as the Honda HR-V, so the two are expected to share at least a handful of mechanical components. A four-cylinder engine and two-wheel drive will come standard, and all-wheel drive will be offered at an extra cost. It’s safe to assume the C-DX won’t get the HR-V’s six-speed manual transmission.

Stay tuned, Acura is expected to introduce the C-DX online in the coming weeks, and we’ll bring you live images of it straight from the Chinese capital starting on April 25th. The crossover is a monumentally important model because it will be the first Acura built in China. Surprisingly, trade journal Automotive News reports the Chinese-built model could be sold globally, including in the United States.

Tesla Motors is reportedly preparing to introduce a mid-cycle update for its Model S sedan.

The refresh is said to be aimed at streamlining Tesla’s manufacturing process and upgrading the vehicle to attract more buyers. The achieve the latter goal, the front fascia has been revised with styling cues borrowed from the Model 3 and Model X, unnamed sources have told CNET. LED headlights and new colors are also expected.

Borrowing more technology from the Model X, the revamped sedan is also said to feature new front seats with optional heating and ventilation. Other reported interior tweaks include new storage compartments and door pockets.

The report did not mention the rumored P100D variant. A detail buried in software code recently hinted at a new 100-kWh battery, providing even more range than the current 90-kWh pack.

The refresh could be introduced as early as next week. The company is said to be retooling its Fremont factory for the changeover, and buyers are expected to face a higher price tag for the facelift.